The Case

Interview

Source: Boston Consulting Group

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WHY ARE CASE INTERVIEWS GIVEN?

To Test Two Things

How much will you like
consulting?
Expose candidates to case
situations and the kind of
work consultants do
How much will consulting
like you?
Give the firm a sense of
how you might approach a
case situation

Firms generally do not expect an extensive business background

• Most companies try to give cases that do not require
business experience or knowledge of business jargon

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WHAT ARE CASE INTERVIEWS?
Two Main Types
• How many pencils are sold annually in the United
States?
Brain teaser
or market • How many dogs are there in California?
sizing
• What are the chances of rolling double sixes three
times in a row?

• A pharmaceutical company is trying to decide

whether to manufacture its drugs in-house or
Business outsource; how would you help?
problem
• The company that owns Vail mountain has seen a
decline in revenues over the past five years; what
should it think about?

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WHAT DO COMPANIES LOOK FOR?
Not “The Answer”
Creativity Poise Analytics
• Apply a unique • Appear excited by • Provide structure
perspective to the kinds of issues to unstructured
business situations consultants face problems
• See the big picture • Not intimidated by • Break problems
• Draw conclusions process/problems into components
from partial info • Assimilate info • Apply transparent,
• Make quickly/effectively logical thinking to
assumptions, see • Ask insightful each component
patterns, generate questions • Synthesize
hypotheses discussion into
solution

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 HOW DO I ATTACK A CASE?
Creating a Logical Structure is Key to Success
Framing/organizing • Ability to identify key issues which he/she needs
to deal with in order to solve the problem
Framing
Prioritizing issues • Ability to assess the issues, prioritize them and
form a coherent plan of attack

Identifying relevant • Ability to dig deep enough to find the detailed

Analysis information information which leads to a meaningful answer

Drawing conclusions • Ability to use information given and manipulate it

from facts accurately into a logical conclusion
- identify the key displays or data dimensions
needed to reach a solution
Con- - derive relationships among different
dimensions of data
clusion
Identifying key • Ability to predict relationships and outcomes
implications and next based on sound reasoning
steps - clear logic to conclusion
- delineation of alternatives

Communication skills tested throughout interview

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 INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE

• Our client owns and operates an

independent ―mom and pop‖ gas station
– Sells gas for $1.01 per gallon
– Operates at break-even profitability

• Exxon opened a gas station across the

street twelve months ago
– Sells gas for $0.91 per gallon -5-
DEMONSTRATION OF CASE

INTERVIEWING #1a:
FRAMING
Interviewer Interviewee

Discussion and Q&A?

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 WHAT IS A FRAMEWORK?
– Models, tools or maps that provide a systematic, logical way of
analyzing a problem
Description
– Show cause and effect relationships to focus on
– Distill a complex, ambiguous problem to the relevant issues

– Guides intelligent questioning of the interviewer

– Lays out your analysis in a logical, coherent manner—paints a
Benefits picture of how you think
– Allows you to apply your experience to an unfamiliar situation

– SWOT analyses
– Familiar frameworks—5 forces, 7 Cs, 7 Ss, 4 Ps
– Matrices—2x2, more sophisticated multi-dimensional
– Value chain analysis
Examples
– Comparative economics
– Product/technology life cycle
– Decision trees

Key is application of, not simply

stating, a framework
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DEMONSTRATION OF CASE
INTERVIEWING #1b:
FRAMING
Interviewer Interviewee

Discussion and Q&A?

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Do’s
 Use one to structure your
answer
 Explain insights derived
using framework
 Creativity is key
 Get buy-in from interviewer
 Use analogies if possible
 Practice, practice, practice
FRAMING
Don’ts
 Force fit a framework
 Overuse buzzwords (e.g.,
Porter’s 5 forces)
 Try to apply a framework
that you do not know well
 Ignore direction from
interviewer
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DEMONSTRATION OF CASE
INTERVIEWING #2:
ANALYSIS
Interviewer Interviewee

Discussion and Q&A?

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Do’s
• Scratch your analysis on
paper—even stream of
consciousness thoughts
•Use facts provided to develop
support for your conclusions
•Ask for more data, clarifying
information
•Keep your framework in mind
(tie back)
•Do math on paper
•Use round numbers
•Start over if needed
•“Think out loud”
ANALYSIS
Don’ts
• Overly worry about basic math
mistakes—yet, don’t make too
many of them
•Worry about decimal-point
precision
•Lose sight of the issue (get lost
in the details)
•Lose contact with your
interviewer
•Ignore when analytics disprove
original hypotheses
•Keep your thought processes
to yourself
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DEMONSTRATION OF CASE
INTERVIEWING #3:
CONCLUSION
Interviewer Interviewee

Discussion and Q&A?

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 CONCLUDING THE CASE
Do’s
•Summarize your analysis
•Provide a clear
recommendation or hypothesis
derived from your analysis
•Highlight any additional
information you would need to
know
•Identify any implications of
your recommendations (e.g.,
competitor response, client
reaction)
Don’ts
•Forget to conclude the case—
regardless of progress made or
time constraints
•Waffle or be indecisive—have a
point of view and confidently
support it
•Ask for feedback
•Forget the original question
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 HOW DO I PREPARE?
No Magical Formula
– With classmates, friends who interviewed last year, and people
at your school’s career services
Practice – Look on the web for firm-provided practice questions (bcg.com)
Decreasing performance impact

– Case interview guides (e.g., WetFeet)

– View the interview as an opportunity, not a hurdle

– Remember, most questions have no ―right answer‖
Prepare
– Familiarize yourself with frameworks
mentally
– Don’t forget about your conclusion

– Wall Street Journal

– Financial Times
Read, read, read
. . . and think – New York Times business section

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 PRACTICAL TIPS FOR
• Bring a pen/pencil and a pad of paper
SUCCESS
• Feel free to pause, particularly at the beginning

• Don’t panic—ask questions to clarify facts, learn more information

• Structure your analysis before you begin

• Think out loud

• Be clear about your assumptions

• Silence can be golden

• Do what makes you comfortable—approach with your personal

style, not what you think is expected

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